County Derry man's handbrake turns 'not the wisest thing to do'
The defendant was handed penalty points and a fine.
A County Derry man was performing 'handbrake turns' in a car park in a vehicle that did not have a valid test certificate, a court has heard.
Samuel Lindsay, of Crew Road, Maghera, appeared for sentencing on charges of careless driving and having no vehicle test certificate at Magherafelt Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
The defendant had previously entered guilty pleas to the offences which occurred at around 11.10pm on December 5 2021 in Union Street car park, Magherafelt.
Police said a CCTV operative had reported a car driving in the car park while 'stopping and starting' and 'doing a turn'.
On arrival, police could not locate the defendant, but sent a letter to the vehicle's registered address and confirmed the defendant was the owner.
The defendant attended a voluntary police interview, at which he made full admissions to being the driver of the vehicle.
Defence for Lindsay said he had been doing 'handbrake turns around a corner' in the car park, but noted there were speed bumps in place, meaning the vehicle's speed would have been low.
They said the defendant was a restricted driver at the time of the incident but that he had a clear record and had co-operated fully with police.
Judge Mullan endorsed the defendant's licence with five penalty points and fined him a total of £350, alongside a £15 offender's levy.
“This was not the wisest thing to do and you need to stop it,” she advised him.